Associated Press stories, Page 759
No. 1 Iga Swiatek exits Australian Open in a 3rd-round loss to Czech teenager Linda Noskova
MELBOURNE, Australia — Already down a set and facing a break point against Iga Swiatek, No. 50-ranked Linda Noskova decided she had nothing to lose. She won 11 of the next 12 points to take the second set and swing momentum in their third-round match Saturday, ultimately becoming the first...
Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer earns 1,202nd victory to tie Mike Krzyzewski’s record
STANFORD, Calif. — Stanford’s players formed a postgame circle and Kiki Iriafen offered her celebratory teammates a little perspective on their coach, Tara VanDerveer: “Tara’s been winning since our parents were kids.” Yes, pushing five decades. A head coach since her mid-20s and still doing it now at 70, VanDerveer...
Josh Hader agrees to $95 million, 5-year contract with Astros, AP source says
Hard-throwing reliever Josh Hader and the Houston Astros agreed to a $95 million, five-year contract on Friday, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was subject to a successful physical. Hader will get a $19 million salary...
Israeli airstrike on the Syrian capital killed at least 4 Iranian advisers, officials say
DAMASCUS, Syria — An Israeli strike on the Syrian capital on Saturday destroyed a building used by the Iranian paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, killing at least four Iranians, Syrian and Iranian state media reported. The Syrian army said the building in the tightly guarded western Damascus neighborhood of Mazzeh was entirely...
Zelenskyy calls Trump’s rhetoric about Ukraine’s war with Russia ‘very dangerous’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was worried by the prospect of Donald Trump returning to the White House, branding Trump’s claim that he could stop Ukraine’s war with Russia in 24 hours as “very dangerous.” In an interview with the U.K.’s Channel 4 News that aired Friday, Zelenskyy invited...
C.J. Stroud shows poise beyond his years in leading Texans
HOUSTON — Rookie C.J. Stroud impressed fans across the country with his poise and calmness in leading the Houston Texans to a win over the Cleveland Browns in his playoff debut. Though the performance was eye-opening to many, for those in Houston who know him best, it was just what...
Miami Heat retire Udonis Haslem’s No. 40 jersey
MIAMI — Udonis Haslem averaged 7.5 points and 6.6 rebounds in his career. He never made an All-Star team. Never had a triple-double. Never signed anything close to a max contract. Never even won a player of the week award. The stats might seem ordinary. Yet, to the Miami Heat,...
Jimmie Johnson, crew chief Chad Knaus join Donnie Allison in NASCAR Hall of Fame
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jimmie Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus, who teamed up to win a record-tying seven Cup championships, were inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Friday night. The sport’s dominant duo, both first-ballot inductees, joined Donnie Allison, an original member of the “Alabama Gang,” in a...
Sam Burns leads The American Express; amateur Nick Dunlap in hunt
LA QUINTA, Calif. — Sam Burns shot the best round of his life with “RTR” shaved into the side of his head. The acronym for “Roll Tide Roll” was the LSU product’s follicular punishment for losing a bet with Justin Thomas. Alabama sophomore Nick Dunlap apparently took it literally, however:...
Lions finally giving fans, including Eminem, chance to cheer for winner
DETROIT — Eminem stood alongside Pro Football Hall of Famers Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson before the Detroit Lions hosted a playoff game for the first time in three decades, soaking up an electric atmosphere at Ford Field. “The energy in the building was amazing,” Johnson said in a phone...
Ravens ready to give Dalvin Cook a shot, but there’s no telling what to expect
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Even John Harbaugh isn’t sure what to expect from Dalvin Cook this weekend. The Baltimore coach sounds ready to put him on the field and find out. “It’s new. We haven’t seen him out there,” Harbaugh told reporters Thursday. “Just like you guys haven’t seen him,...
Yankees cut Jeter Downs, likely ending his time in New York before it started
NEW YORK — Jeter Downs’ career with the New York Yankees could end before it started. Downs was designated for assignment Friday, one month after the Yankees claimed the 25-year-old shortstop off waivers from the Washington Nationals. The Yankees needed the roster spot after claiming infielder/outfielder Diego Castillo off waivers...
Florida under NCAA investigation a year after a failed NIL deal with QB signee Jaden Rashada
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida is under NCAA investigation a year after a failed name, image and likeness deal worth more than $13 million with former signee Jaden Rashada. The Gators released the NCAA’s notice of inquiry Friday to the Associated Press and the Tampa Bay Times after the newspaper’s lawyers...
Ohio State hires former Penn State coach Bill O’Brien as offensive coordinator
Ohio State hired former Houston Texans and Penn State head coach Bill O’Brien as its offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, the program confirmed in a statement Friday. “He is an excellent and experienced offensive coach who has run NFL and Power 5 programs and developed some truly elite players throughout...
Department of Justice, 3 more states, District of Columbia join lawsuit against NCAA transfer rules
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Department of Justice, three more states and the District of Columbia have joined a lawsuit against the NCAA’s transfer eligibility rule. The federal agency signed on to the action, saying in its announcement this week that the NCAA rule on transfers is “an illegal restraint on...
Atlanta Falcons complete 2nd interview with former Patriots coach Bill Belichick
ATLANTA — Bill Belichick completed his second coaching interview with the Atlanta Falcons on Friday, moving closer to joining the franchise that endured its biggest disappointment with him on the opposite sideline. The Falcons also met virtually with Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, but all eyes were on Belichick...
Capitals sign Aliaksei Protas to a 5-year extension worth $16.876 million
The Washington Capitals have signed forward Aliaksei Protas to a five-year extension worth $16.875 million, a long-term commitment to a young player the organization believes is on an upward trajectory. General manager Brian MacLellan announced the deal Friday. When the new contract kicks in next season, Protas will count $3.375...
Microsoft: State-backed Russian hackers accessed emails of senior leadership team
BOSTON — State-backed Russian hackers broke into Microsoft’s corporate email system and accessed the accounts of members of the company’s leadership team, as well as those of employees on its cybersecurity and legal teams, the company said Friday. In a blog post, Microsoft said the intrusion began in late November...
Texas prosecutor convenes grand jury to investigate Uvalde shooting
UVALDE, Texas — A Texas prosecutor has convened a grand jury to investigate the Uvalde school shooting that killed 21 people, multiple media outlets reported Friday. Uvalde County District Attorney Christina Mitchell told the San Antonio Express-News a grand jury will review evidence related to the Robb Elementary School shooting...
JetBlue, Spirit say they will appeal ruling that blocked merger
NEW YORK — JetBlue and Spirit Airlines said Friday they will appeal a federal judge’s ruling this week that blocked their plan to combine into a single carrier. The airlines said they filed a notice of appeal with the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, following the terms of their...
Andrew Cuomo sues attorney general for records in sexual harassment probe that led to his downfall
NEW YORK — Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is suing state Attorney General Letitia James in an effort to force her to turn over interviews from the damaging sexual misconduct investigation that led to his resignation. Cuomo filed the case against James in New York state court Thursday, arguing...
Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka reaches 4th round at Australian Open
MELBOURNE, Australia — Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka and U.S. Open winner Coco Gauff swept to commanding wins at the Australian Open on Friday to reach the fourth round. Second-seeded Sabalenka beat Lesia Tsurenko, 6-0, 6-0, in 52 minutes, and No. 4-seeded Gauff lost just two games in beating fellow American...
Report: Reliever Josh Hader agrees to 5-year, $95M contract with Astros
Hard-throwing reliever Josh Hader and the Houston Astros agreed to a $95 million, five-year contract Friday, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was subject to a successful physical. Hader will get a $19 million salary in...
Raiders hire Antonio Pierce as coach, remove ‘interim’ tag
Las Vegas Raiders players lobbied for Antonio Pierce to be the full-time head coach since he stepped in as the interim at midseason. On Friday, Pierce officially got the gig. The Raiders announced the hiring of Pierce as their new coach, crossing out the word “interim” in a post on...
NYC mayor vetoes bills banning solitary confinement in jails and expanding reporting of police stops
NEW YORK — New York City’s mayor vetoed bills Friday aimed at banning solitary confinement in city jails and requiring more transparency in police encounters with civilians, setting up a faceoff with the City Council, which says it has enough votes to override him. Democratic Mayor Eric Adams said the...
